Dress Up that Cake

Dear Cecily,

I love to bake, especially cakes. I often put fruit or interesting frosting colors on top of my cakes, but all my friends and family have seen my old standbys for decorations. My best friend's birthday is coming up and I want to make a cake that looks totally new to her. What can I put on top (without too much extra effort)?

Thanks,
Margot in Boston


Dear Margot,

I grew up in a family where, European style, marzipan was a sweet reserved especially for Christmas. But now I believe that marzipan (a rich almond treat, perfect for cake decoration and for eating) can and should be eaten at any celebration! You can mold it into any shape you like, and you can turn it any color you like with just a few drops of food coloring. It's like Play-Doh for adults, but oh, so much more delicious! Even if your cake tasters don't like the strong flavor of marzipan, they'll adore the stunning look of the cake. Showing off your delicious cake is really the point of the decorations anyway. Eating the decoration is, well, icing on the cake!

Happy Molding and Happy Cooking,
Cecily

Marzipan Red Roses

1) Get a tube of almond paste or marzipan from the groccery store. Almost any supermarket carries these in the baking aisle.
2) Open the tube and put the marzipan in a bowl.
3) Add a few drops of red food coloring, more for a brighter red.
4) With clean hands, work the coloring into the marzipan (I told you it was like Play-Doh for adults!) It will look like the mound of red in the picture above.
5) Next break off a small bit of the marzipan and form it into an upside-down pear shape (see picture above). If your hands get sticky, keep a damp paper towel next to you and rub your fingers into it. When they are slightly damp, your fingers will not stick to the marzipan.
6) When you have about 12 petals, build your rose by placing one petal around another in a circle until you have used all the petals. The small end of the "pear- shaped" petal faces downward.
7) Pinch off the bottom of the rose so that it sits flat and repeat, for as many roses as you would like.